Keyboard instrument control



April 1953' A. E. MURRAY 2,636,413

KEYBOARD INSTRUMENT CONTROL Filed March 18. 1952 2 Sl-IEETS-SI-IEET l INVENTOR flla'n E. M arr y ATTOR EY' KEYBOARD INSTRUMENT CONTROL Filed March 18, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 35 36 0 40 Rudd?! N A 37 O 26 Z8 27 39 o Patented Apr. 28, 1953 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE KEYBOARD INSTRUMENT CONTROL Alan E. Murray, New York, N. Y.

Application March 18, 1952, Serial No. 277,127

My -invention relates to the controls of keyboard instruments of various kinds but is especially useful in connection with musical instruments operated by keyboards, such as pianos, organs, etc.

In the operation of such instruments it is found to be of great importance to attain the most effective coordination of the body position and its movement with regard to the keyboard so as to, in effect, incorporate the instrument and body into one-entity as far as possible. In that way only can the greatest perfection in musical performance or rendition be attained. It is a purpose of my invention to attain this object.

Accordingly, my invention has relation to means for effectively positioning the body of the performer, as well as controlling the body movement so as to free as far as possible the feet and hands of the performer, to attain the said ideal of performance and rendition. .To this end, the controls, for example, the the pedals of a musical instrument, are arranged and operated in accordance with my invention so as to attain a balanced uniform operation,

With'a minimum of mechanical distraction, dur

ing the playing of the instrument. .Further objects of my invention will be seen from the detailed description hereinafter.

While myin'vention is capable of embodiment in many different forms, by way of illustration I have shown only one form thereof hereinafter in the accompanying drawings, in which -Fig. l is a plan view of a piano equipped with my invention;

- Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the bench board forsupporting the calves of the legs of the performer;

' Fig. 4 is a verticalsection of the lower portion of the piano shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the pedal arrangement thereof; and

Fig. 6 is a detailed fragmentary plan view of thepedal levers thereon.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown an upright piano 1, that is to say having a vertically arranged sounding board and frame 2 provided with-the usual set of graduated strings 3, comprising for instance three strings for each of the usual keys in a keyboard 4, generally comprised of.52 white keys 5 for full notes and 36 black keys lizfor half notes. lhese keys 5 and 6 may operate hammers (not shown) in any usual way, as for instance in Websters New International Dictionary page,1854,.2nd..ed.,..1946, C. C. Merriam 8 Claims. (Cl. 84232) Co., Springfield, Mass, or the Encyclopaeula Britannica. The front of the keyboard 4 is supported on two pedestals I which have casters resting on the floor. The keyboard 4 forms a part of an enclosing casing 8 provided with a bottom board 9 with casters for supporting the sounding board 2, also a folding top cover it, beneath which there is a forwardly sliding leaf l I, carrying an inclined hinged music rest I2 for supporting the upper rear portion of sheet music, the lower edge of which rests against a ridge [4 on the leaf II.

There are illustrated three pedals comprising a. damper or loud pedal l5 of the usual type, but which in this instance, instead of being at th right, is arranged in the middle between a soft pedal It, at the left in the usual way, and a sustainer pedal i! which in this instance is located at the right instead of between the loud and soft pedals.

The soft pedal [6 is supported against torsional movement within a slot [8 in a pivot plate 59, which is fastened by screws 20 to the floor board 9. A headed pivot rod 2 I, held by an end nut in cars 22, 23, 24 and 25, passes through the pedals l6, l5 and H to permit pivotal action thereof. The said soft pedal has a series of holes for adjusting its connection to a horizontal operating bar 28 by means of a vertical pivotal screw-threaded bolt 21 and the bar 25 is carried on a steel spring hinge 28, the lower end of which is supported by a block 29 fastened to the floor board 9. The bar 26 is, furthermore, attached at its inner end by a vertical screw-threaded rod 30 to the usual soft pedal piano mechanism for shifting the initial position of the hammers towards the strings 3, as for instance in Websters New International Dictionary aforesaid, or in the Encyclopaedia Britannica as above referred to.

The sustainer pedal I7 is pivotally supported against torsional movement between the ears 24 and 25 on the pivot plate [9. It, furthermore, has a series of holes for selective connection to an operating bar 3|, by a pivotal screw-threaded vertical bolt 32, which is supported on a steel spring hinge 33 of about the same strength as the spring 28, on a block 29. The inner end of the bar 3| is connected to a screw-threaded rod 34 which leads to any usual sustainer piano mechanism, as used on any type of piano, such for instance as means for shifting the damper laterally as provided in upright pianos so that it operates only in one or more of the three strings of each of the notes arranged to be controlled by the damper in the particular piano, so as to provide for the sustention of the particular notes controlled by the damper. In the grand type of piano, the sustainer mechanism may operate to remove or lessen the damping effect from a particular selected set of strings, but with a wide range of selection for the sustention of the particular tones.

The damper or loud pedal 55 is not only pivotally carried on the pivot rod 2|, but is also capable of torsional movement, because of two opposed conical recesses 35 and 3-5, through which the rod 2! passes, and which carry therein elastic conical rubber washers supported against the ears 23 and 24, respectively. The damper pedal l5 also has a series of holes 37' for selective connection to a bar $8 by means of a pivotal screw-threaded bolt 39. The bar 38 is supported on a spring hinge 130, which preferably is strongerthan either spring 28 or 33, and which is supported on the block 29. The inner end of the bar 38 is connected by a vertical rod I41 to the usual piano damping mechanism so that when the pedal i5 is depressed the damper is moved, to the extent desired, away from the strings with which it operates, which latter in the, usual piano comprises merely the notes below theextreme treble, althoughthe damper can apply-toall of the keyboard notes if desired.

For operating the pedals l5, l6 and it, there 'i's" attached to the damper or loud pedal 15 a cross-bar d2, rectangular in cross-section, by means of a clamp 43, having jaws, provided with a hand screw 45 for tightening the clamp in place. Between the said jaws and between the pedal 15 and the cross-bar 42 there is clamped a spacing block 47'. On the bar 42 at either side of the clamp 43 there are provided laterally adjustable U-shaped plates t8 and 49 provided with round pegs 38a and 45a, said plates having secured thereon foam rubber pads 50 and 5| which extend up against the sides of the said pegs 48a and Ma and against which the large toes of the operator are to be rested laterally for operating the control of the instrument. These plates 38 and is have vertical holes 52 and 53 for receiving headed screws passing through slots 54 and 55 in the bar 42, provided with thumb-nuts 56 and 5?, for adjustment of the pads Stand 5! laterally on the bar 42. The said cross-bar 42 has elongated ends 58 and 59 for operating, re- 'spectively, the soft pedal I6 and the sustainer pedal H. For this purpose the said pedal It has secured thereto, by a clamp Bil having jaws ti and 82 and a tightening screw 63, a horizontal arm 64 with a vertical end 65 and a flat knob 86 thereon underlying the end 58 of the crossbar '42 Attached to the sustainer pedal ii there a similar clamp 67 having a thumb-screw 68 with ahorizontal arm 69 having a vertical end ilfl'provided with a fiat knob I l,,for operation by the end 59 of the cross-bar 42.

, To locate and maintain the position of the body of the operator with regard to the keyboard 4 and the pedals l5, l6 and I7 I have provided a seat or' bench 12 having a foam rubber cushion "13 thereon. The fiat seat it acts also as a cover for a sheet music box 74 provided with enclosing sides '55 and it as well as front and rear walls I7 and I8 and a bottom 19. The seat l2 is connected at its rear by two hinges ac to the rear wall 18. Four rectangular legs 8!, 82, 83 and 84 extend downwardly from within the box 15 to which they are attached and are received infianged s1eeves85, respectively, each of which is provided with a slot 86 for the vertical adjustment therein of a set screw 81 carried by each of the said legs BI, 82, 83 and 84. The said flanged sleeves 85 rest at their flanged ends on a shiftable platform 88 forming a wide firm base for supporting the operator while performing on the instrument, and which may be shifted laterally as well as to and from the piano I.

It will be noted that the two sides l5 and 16 have forwardly inclined extensions ad ffor receiving between them an inclined rest 90.."for the calves of the legs, in the form of a boardy'which has secured to the top of each end thereof a metal plate 1 with an eye at its upper end, to receive a headed pivot rod 92 passing through the said sides 15 and 15. The lower ends of the two plates 91 also carry adjusting thumb-screws 93 cooperating with slots 94 in the sides 15 and t to adjust the angle of the leg support or board 90. The board 99 may be provided with a thick sheet of foam rubber 95. Furthermore, at the right and left ends, respectively, of said-board Sii there are lateral leg supports or boards 96 and 9? provided with thick foam rubber, sheet facings 9'8 and 99. These lateral leg supports 86 and 97 are each supported adjustably in a. lateral direction by a metal strap Hi0 attached above and below to the edge of each lateral support 9 5, 9'! by screws 19!, so-that each saidestrap mil passes around the board 80, and to which tive holes Hi l and H35 in the inclined board 98,

permitting lateral and tilting adjustment.

In the operation of myinventien, the performer on the instrument, such for instance as the piano I, will be seated on the foamrubber '13 on the bench 12, the desired position of which, as to the piano 5, and with due regard to the length or lengths of the performers arms, will have been established bymoving the platform 83 laterally and forwardly or rearwardly. The performer will then adjust the angles and positions of the inclined leg rests or supporting boards 99 faced by the foam rubber 95-, by means of the screws 93 so that the toes of the performer will conveniently and naturally overlie the rub ber pads 5t and El and press inwardly against the pegs Ma and Add in opposition to the'leg muscles resting against the boards faced'by the foam rubber 95, for operating the pedalslfi. is and ii. The side leg supports "96 and 91, faced by the foam rubber 98 and 99, will,.of course, have been previously adjusted laterally, respectively, to suit the most comfortable or natural positions thereof adjacent the calves of the legs of the performer, so that the toes. will naturally overlie the said pads 58. and '51, which can have been previously adjusted laterally into the most comfortable places of the plates 48 and 49, followed by the tightening of the screws 56 and 51. Likewise, the height of the bench}? will, if desired, have been adjusted previouslyto accord with the length of the performers legs, by means of the screws 81 in the slots 36 ofthe bench supporting sleeves 85.

The performer is now in the most comfortable, that is to say natural'position, for operating the keys 5 and 8 of the keyboard 4, provided for striking the respective piano Wire strings 3. The volume of the notes thus struck may be increased, as desired, by depressing the loudpedal [5 so as to more or less displace the damper away from the strings 3. This may be accomplished bypressing down on the feet simultaneously'lm edon ead 5.0 an .51 c r by the .b 42, and whichare preferably equally distant from the pivotal position at the center of said cross-bar supported on the pedal IS. The thickness of the spacing member 41 is such as to permit the full and complete depression of the bar 42 for'operating the loud. pedal l5 without operatingeither the soft pedal It or the sustainer pedal IT, by evenly balancing the pressures from the two feet onthe cross-bar 42. If the soft pedal, which can be moved by the knob 66, isto be operated-alone this can-be done by pressing downwardly on the left foot, it being understood that the spring 40 is somewhat stronger than either the spring 28 or the spring 33, although both pedals l5 and 16 can be operated by sufficient pressure on the left portion of the bar 42 by the left foot, which, as desired, may or may not be accompanied by some downward pressure from the right foot on the pad 5|. In a similar way, the sustainer pedal H, by means of the knob H, can be operated alone by pressure from the right foot on the pad 5| with or without some pressure applied from the left foot on the pad 50, or both pedals l1 and I5 can be operated together from the right foot alone on the pad 5| or by pressure from both feet on pads 50 and 5!, respectively. Furthermore, if desired, all three pedals l5, l6 and I! can be operated simultaneously by pressing the feet downwardly on both pads 50 and 5|, sufiicient to move the pedals l5, l6 and I! downwardly to the extent desired.

In this way the piano I, or other keyboard instrument, can be operated from the most natural position of the particular performer and in a balanced manner without placing undue or unbalanced demands on either the left or right portions of the body or leg muscles of the performer. Also, the damper pedal 15 which is mainly used, is generally operated by both feet and the operation of the other pedals l6 and I1 is also generally accomplished by muscular efiort contributed from both feet by means of the muscles of both legs. In other words, both legs with both feet can operate each one or more of the three pedals l5, l6 and H.

This completely frees the hands for attaining perfection in the operation of the keys 5 and 6 on the keyboard 4. The result is to bring about the operation of the piano more nearly by the body as a whole, which is the most sought after ideal in piano technique, and which, in effect,

most completely makes the musical instrument, while in operation, coalesce with the body of the performer.

This is accomplished, furthermore, by taking the weight off the heels and releasing the feet from the necessity of stabilizing the body, so that the feet are relaxed and as free as in the action of the wrists for musical performance. Also, the knees press the calves of the legs outwardly giving effective control of the back by the leg muscles, both horizontally and vertically, so as to put the instrument in the effective control of the calf muscles, for moving the pedals 15, I6 and I1 downwardly against the springs 40, 28 and 33 by which they are supported, respectively.

While I have described my invention above in detail I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the same.

I claim:

1. A keyboard instrument having keys for finger operation thereof and a plurality of pedals f or controlling the instrument operation; -including a support on one of the pedals formovement of saidpedal by both feet, said support being in engageable proximity to another pedal sufficient to operate the other pedalby said support. 2. A keyboard instrument having keys for finger operation thereof and a plurality of pedals for controlling the instrument operation, includ ing a support on one of thepedals for movement of said pedal by both feet, said support being in, engageable proximity to another pedal and still another pedal, sufficient to operate the other pedals by said support.

3. A keyboard instrument having keys for finger operation thereof and a plurality of pedals for controlling the instrument operation, including a pivotal support on one of the pedals for movement of said pedal by both feet, said support being in engageable proximity to another pedal sumcient to operate the other pedal by said support by means of a further movement pivotally.

4. A keyboard instrument having keys for finger operation thereof and a plurality of pedals for controlling the instrument operation, including a pivotal support on one of the pedals for movement of said pedal by both feet, said support being in engageable proximity to another pedal and still another pedal, sufficient to operate the other pedals by said support by means of a further movement pivotally toward either or said other pedals.

A keyboard instrument having keys for finger operation thereof and a plurality of pedals for controlling the instrument operation, including a support on one of the pedals for movement or said pedal by both feet, said support being in engageable proximity to another pedal and still another pedal, for operating the other pedals from said support, the first mentioned pedal being located between the two other pedals, and said support comprising a cross-bar fastened to the central pedal and arranged to extend over the two other pedals.

6. A keyboard instrument having keys for finger operation thereof and a plurality of pedals for controlling the instrument operation, including a pivotal support on one or the pedals for movement of said pedal by both feet, said support being in proximity to another pedal and still another pedal, for operating the other pedals from said support by a further movement pivotally toward either of said other pedals, the first mentioned pedal being located between the two other pedals and said support comprising a crossbar fastened to the central pedal and arranged to extend over the two other pedals.

7. A keyboard instrument having keys for finger operation thereof and a plurality of pedals for controlling the instrument operation, including a pivotal support on one of the pedals for movement of said pedal by both feet, said support being in proximity to another pedal and still another pedal, for operating the other pedals from said support by a further movement pivotally toward either of said other pedals, the first mentioned pedal being located between the two other pedals and said support comprising a cross-bar fastened to the central pedal and arranged to extend over the two other pedals, the central pedal having a torsional pivotal mounting, the other pedals having pivotal mountings preventing torsional movement and said other pedals? having; lateral; operating arms extending beneath'theendsof the gross-bar.- 8; A keyboardinstrument having-keys forfingar operation thereof and a plurality of pedalsfon controllingthe instrument operation, includinga support; on one of the pedals for movement of said pedal by bothfeet, said support being in engageable proximity to another-pedalsufiieient:

to operate the other pedal by said support. the

first; mentioned pedal: having a spring support stronger. than a spring support for: the other pediar ALAN E: MURRAY;

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